This week I'm sharing some of my favorite summer activities for outdoor therapy sessions with kids. Check out the links below and you can do them, too!

1. Make giant bubble wands for giant bubbles.
2. Make toy boats using recyclables. I recommend corks, rubber bands, large paper clips, sturdy toothpicks, popsicle sticks, duct tape, and small plastic containers. Bring stickers or sharpie markers to allow the children to decorate their creations. (Can pair with the book Toy Boat, too.)
3. Make a mud kitchen using kitchen supplies from thrift stores. Play the Great Nature Baking Show game.
4. Balloon ball volleyball game
5. Make ice cream in the ice cream ball

What are your favorite activities for therapy sessions in the summer? Weigh in in the Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community here. (P.S. If you're down under, here's the listener-feature episode where we shared favorite WINTER activities.)

It's my 48th birthday today! So I want to give you a present as a thank you for being a listener of the podcast or a member of the TGO Community. I'm giving away a free copy of my book: Therapy in the Great Outdoors- A Start-Up Guide to Nature-Based Pediatric Practice with 44 Kid-Tested Activities. I'll throw some Therapy in the Great Outdoors stickers in there, too!

All you have to do to enter is leave a review for the TGO podcast, screenshot it, and share it on Instagram. Don't forget to tag me @lauraparkfig so I can put your name in the drawing to win the book! If you're not on Instagram OR if you have ALREADY left a review for the podcast (thank you!), you can enter by leaving a review for Therapy in the Great Outdoors on Google here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Therapy+in+the+Great+Outdoors/@14.1576412,-149.1384369,3z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4a2341b4ba5fa709:0x5cb6536199ef896!8m2!3d14.1576412!4d-149.138437!16s%2Fg%2F11stb6yb0m?entry=ttu

Make sure to send me a DM on Instagram or in the TGO Community after you leave your Google review so that I can put your name in the drawing! I will draw the winner live on Instagram and in the TGO Community on Wednesday June 26.

Also, I want to invite you to come work-cation with me! I'm hosting a nature-based business retreat from November 7-10 in Santa Cruz CA. We have 16 spots left. I'm selecting some really great mentors to help me facilitate this time together. You know how you always wish you had time to step away without distractions and take a 10,000 foot view of your business, so that you can plan and make wise decisions? That's what this retreat is for! You will intentionally set your 2025 annual plan in place so that next year will be your best one yet in your nature-based practice. I hope to see you there. You can register for the retreat here by August 1: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/retreat

xoxo

Laura

In this episode, I'm sharing a template we developed in my practice for sending a monthly newsletter to families. This helps you share free and helpful information with your potential clients, and communicate the unique value of the therapy services you provide. Tune in to hear real examples of things I've sent in our newsletter and the 3-topic template that we use to come up with simple ideas to share with families each month.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:21 Importance of Email Lists in Nature-Based Therapy

01:11 Newsletter Template Overview

03:19 Creating Engaging and Effective Newsletters

04:58 Tip of the Month

08:07 Resource of the Month

10:06 Story and Service Updates

14:53 Conclusion and Contact Information

Resources from this episode:

Flodesk affiliate link to get 50% off your first year of Flodesk (it is the BEST email service provider, hands down. Easiest to use and a beautiful user interface to make emailing your people EASY and FUN.) https://flodesk.com/c/Y63MIS

My previous episodes on email marketing:

TGO Podcast - Email Marketing for Your Nature-Based Practice https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/podcasts/therapy-in-the-great-outdoors/episodes/2147735255

Mind Your OT Business episode- Why You MUST Have an Email List to Grow Your Practice: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/podcasts/mind-your-ot-business/episodes/2147505784

Ever heard of a "living book"? In this episode, you'll learn how to select and use living books for planning nature-based therapy sessions. I give a brief introduction to Charlotte Mason educational philosophy, which emphasizes the use of living books. Living books are characterized by rich ideas, engaging stories, and timeless truths. They foster creativity and enhance therapy sessions without preaching at children. You'll learn practical tips for selecting and using living books to inspire therapy activities for your nature-based sessions.

00:00 Introduction to Therapy in the Great Outdoors

01:00 Episode 68: Planning Nature-Based Therapy Sessions

02:06 The Concept of Living Books 03:29 Charlotte Mason's Educational Philosophy

08:10 Using Living Books in Therapy

18:38 Practical Examples and Resources

24:57 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

26:35 Bonus: Free Resources for Nature-Based Therapy

Resources mentioned in this episode: What a Living Book Sounds Like - Simply Charlotte Mason podcast Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr

Get a free book list from Laura to help you get started using living books in your nature-based therapy practice at https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/books

In this episode, I share the framework we use for planning summer therapy camps in my nature-based therapy practice. I developed this system in 2020, focusing on the emotional journey kids typically experience throughout a camp week. Key themes are established for each day of the camp week with individual therapy goals being addressed within daily activities. Next week on the podcast, I'll share part 2 of this mini-series on camp planning, where I'll share how to choose good books to support your creative treatment planning for therapy camps.

00:00 Welcome to Therapy in the Great Outdoors

00:28 Personal Update & preparations

01:06 Introducing the Summer Camp Planning Framework

02:28 Detailed Breakdown of the Daily Therapeutic Themes

08:44 Exploring the ConTiGO Approach

11:26 Reflecting on the Framework's Necessity and Sharing Resources

13:50 Closing Thoughts and Invitation for Feedback

Get your free copy of the chart of the Therapeutic Themes Framework for Camp Planning here: www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/camp

Over the years coaching nature-based business owners, I've noticed some key things that all successful nature-based entrepreneurs seem to do consistently. Want to know what they are? Listen to this week's episode to get my tips and insights on how to do these 5 things so that your nature-based business can grow to serve more people in your community!

Successful nature-based business owners:

1. Take imperfect action.

2. Commit for the LONG HAUL and don't give up when things get hard.

3. Start small and slowly build multiple revenue streams.

4. Develop systems for every single repeatable process in the business.

a. Recommended resource: Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port

5. Invest in their business and themselves as leaders of their business.

If YOU are ready to invest in the success of your nature-based business, join us in the Business Hive, my nature-based business coaching program for nature-based entrepreneurs. Enrollment is open till June 1 at 5pm CST. You'll get weekly accountability calls, loads of templates and forms to help you run your business, and my entire Business Bedrocks curriculum to help you systematically set up your business run on auto-pilot as much as possible so that you can work less and pay yourself more as the business grows to serve more people in your local community. You CAN do this...I have and I can help you do it, too!

Enroll now at https://therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/hive-open

In this episode, you'll learn strategies for effectively managing and leading a team in your nature-based business. Occupational therapist Shannon Rolph from Guelph, Ontario, Canada joined me for a live business coaching call. She is the owner of Shannon Rolph OT, and runs Kids in the Woods, a nature-based branch of her business. She has hired her first employees and had questions around how to lead well while growing her business.

You'll learn:

-How to establish policies and procedures up front with employees, while maintaining your autonomy as the business owner to make changes in the future if needed

-Strategies for establishing financial incentives for employees

-Ways to foster team community and engagement in the business priorities and goals

-Why it is important for nature-based business owners to have other nature-based business owner friends

Learn more about Shannon's business at www.shannonrolph.ca or connect with her on Instagram @shannon.rolph.ot

ANNOUNCEMENT! The Business Hive, my nature-based business group coaching program, will open for enrollment on May 27 for a June-December cohort. If you want to set up automated systems so that you can work less and earn more as your nature-based business grows to serve more people, check out the Hive & join the waitlist at https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/hive

If you're a nature-based business owner in the United States, you NEED this information to avoid fines and penalties from the government! This short episode could save you a lot of hassle down the road. I explain the new Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and the requirement that all businesses submit their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI). Don't worry - it is quick and easy. Takes less than 10 minutes and you only need to do it once (or after any ownership changes in the future).

Go to https://www.fincen.gov/boi to report your BOI for your business. If you existed before 1/1/24 you have till 1/1/25 to report. If you start your business in 2024 or later, you must report within 30 days!

You can get more information at this helpful blog post from my trusted local attorney's office here in Madison: https://www.athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/post/breaking-down-the-corporate-transparency-act-what-business-owners-need-to-know